The subject technology generally relates to dental implants.
Implant dentistry involves the restoration of one or more teeth in a patient's mouth using artificial components. Such artificial components typically include an implant body, an abutment, and a crown. The completed assembly is referred to as a dental implant.
The implant body is the part of the dental implant that provides the anchor or foundation for the restoration. This part is fixed in the jaw bone, and can be threaded or non-threaded. Bone tissue tends to grow around the implant body and thus the jaw bone is strengthened. Commercially available implant bodies are typically made of either commercially pure titanium or a titanium alloy and, depending on the need, may be coated with hydroxyapatite to promote osseointegration. The abutment is the portion of the dental implant that attaches to the implant body and extends above the gumline and provides internal support to the artificial crown. The crown is the topmost part of the restoration and is the part that is visible in the mouth. Crowns for dental implants are similar to crowns applied over natural teeth and are usually made of metal or porcelain or a mixture of the two. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate two examples of existing dental implants.
Temporary components used during the implantation procedure include a healing screw and a healing cap. The healing screw is used after the implant body is initially placed while the soft tissue over the implant body is healing. The healing screw facilitates the suturing of the soft tissue and also prevents the growth of tissue over the edge of the implant. A healing cap is a dome-shaped cap that projects through the soft tissue into the oral cavity and further guide the growth of gum tissues around the implant body.
Generally, the process for restoring a tooth is carried out in four steps—diagnosis, implantation, attachment of the abutment, and attachment of the crown. During the diagnosis in Step 1, an X-ray image is typically taken of the patient's head to determine the shape and density of the bone structure of the jaw. In certain circumstances, a CAT scan may be required to provide more detailed information about the bone and the location of structures such as sinuses.
Step 2 involves implanting the dental implant into the bone of a patient's jaw. The oral surgeon first accesses the patient's jawbone through the patient's gum tissue and removes any remains of the tooth to be replaced. Next, the specific site in the patient's jaw where the implant will be anchored is widened by drilling and/or reaming to accommodate the width of the dental implant to be implanted. Then, the dental implant is inserted into the hole in the jawbone, typically by screwing, although other techniques are known for introducing the implant in the jawbone.
The implant itself is typically fabricated from pure titanium or a titanium alloy. Such materials are known to produce osseointegration of the fixture with the patient's jawbone. Existing dental implant typically include a hollow threaded bore through at least a portion of its body and extending out through its proximal end which is exposed through the crestal bone for receiving and supporting the final tooth prosthesis and/or various intermediate components or attachments.
After the implant is initially installed in the jawbone, a temporary healing screw is secured over the exposed proximal end in order to seal the internal bore. The patient's gums are then sutured over the implant body and screw to allow the implant site to heal and to allow desired osseointegration to occur. Complete osseointegration typically takes anywhere from four to ten months.
Step 3 is shown in FIG. 3A. The surgeon reassesses the implant fixture by making an incision through the patient's gum tissues. The healing screw is then removed, exposing the proximal end of the implant, and the abutment is attached to the implant body. Typically, an impression is then taken of the patient's mouth to accurately record the position and orientation of the implant and abutment within the mouth. This impression is used to create a plaster model or analogue of the mouth and/or the implant site and provides the information needed to fabricate the prosthetic replacement tooth and any required intermediate prosthetic components. Step 3 is typically completed by attaching a healing cap to the abutment to control the healing and growth of the patient's gum tissue around the implant site.
Between step 3 and step 4, a crown is fabricated from the plaster model created in step 3. Step 4 in the restorative process includes removing the temporary healing cap and attaching the crown to the abutment as shown in FIG. 3B.